Chapter 146
On May 15, Qin Tian left Berlin together with Foreign Minister von Kidren Wachter and went to Wilhelmshaven by train. There they will board the battleship Nassau of the Imperial Navy and head to England.
Although, some are reluctant to part with their wives. Especially when Princess Gundelinde was pregnant, Qin Tian didn't want to leave Germany anymore. However, as the crown prince, while enjoying power, he must also undertake corresponding obligations, which made him have to complete this visit. Fortunately, it doesn't take much time to go to the UK for a visit. Including the time spent on the road, it only takes about half a month in total.
On the morning of May 16, Qin Tian and the foreign minister boarded the battleship 'Nassau', the first dreadnought ship of the German Navy. Even with the follow-up and more powerful "Witchersbach-class" battleships already in service, the battleship "Nassau" is still a well-deserved capital ship of the German Navy. What's more, compared to the battleships of the British Navy, apart from the 'Orion-class' battleships that are under construction, the battleship 'Nassau' can be said to be a rare opponent.
Even if the "Orion-class" battleship is equipped with a 343mm main gun with 45 times the caliber, it is not necessarily stronger than the 305mm main gun with 50 times the caliber of the "Nassau" in terms of performance. Not to mention, the armor of the "Nassau" battleship is thicker than that of the "Orion-class" battleship, and its defense is stronger. Once the war starts, the battleship 'Nassau' may be able to resist the battleship 'Orion'.
The battleship 'Nassau' began to vibrate, and the propeller was driven by the steam turbine to rotate rapidly. Battleships also gradually changed from static to moving. When the battleship sailed out of the military port and entered the North Sea, the battleship began to accelerate.
Although the battleship 'Nassau' has a maximum speed of 21 knots, except for the fact that such a speed will break out during the test and in future naval battles, it usually cruises at a speed of ten knots . From Wilhelmshaven to London, the battleship "Nassau" needs to sail for two full days.
However, Edward VII's funeral was held in a week, and they still had enough time to reach London.
Standing on the deck of the "Nassau" battleship, feeling the oncoming sea breeze, savoring the feeling of a huge battleship riding the wind and breaking the waves, Qin Tian was very moved. In his previous life, he was just an otaku, but now he has become the heir to one of the world's most powerful empires. All of this is like in a dream.
More importantly, this empire is completely different from another time and space. With Qin Tian's unremitting efforts, this empire is becoming stronger. Qin Tian believed that once the war broke out, they would definitely win in the future.
"His Royal Highness!" A voice sounded behind Qin Tian.
Qin Tian looked back and saw that it was von Kidren Wachter, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Empire. The specific name of the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs in Germany was actually Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
"Your Excellency, Minister of Foreign Affairs, hello!" Qin Tian said with a nod.
Qin Tian also hoped to win over the important ministers of the civil servant faction of the empire. However, neither the Prime Minister Bernhard von Bülow nor the Foreign Minister von Kidren Wachter clearly stated their support for him! They are more like staying neutral, or that William II decides who is the heir to the empire, and they support whoever.
For Qin Tian, this is undoubtedly somewhat unfavorable. Although, Qin Tian has already gained a lot of support from the military. The navy has all fallen to him. Among the army, at least half of the people support him. However, Xiao Maoqi made it clear that he opposed him. If the civil service faction can support him, then his position is truly impregnable. Otherwise, a word from William II may prevent him from being crown prince. Of course, even William II would not easily replace the Crown Prince of the Empire. But, who made Qin Tian still have the word "generation" on his head? This makes his position relatively unstable.
"Your Highness, it's hard to imagine that the giant ship under our feet belongs to the Empire. It is a miracle that the Imperial Navy caught up with Britain in an extremely short time, and even overtook it." Von Kidren? Wahit sighed.
As an important minister of the empire, von Kidren Wachter naturally knew the true situation of the imperial navy. In order to prevent the outside world from knowing the true situation of its own navy, the German navy has done a lot of deceptive work. The gun cover of the main gun is always covered on the cannon except during training. The outside world simply does not know the caliber of the main guns of the German Navy's battleships.
The major shipyards have also stepped up their vigilance, making it impossible for spies from various countries to find out the real situation. Once the war breaks out, the true strength of the German navy will surely surprise other countries.
"This is the joint effort of everyone in the Imperial Navy. Of course, the support of the cabinet is also indispensable. After all, these big guys are very expensive." Qin Tian said with a smile.
The navy is a military service that burns money. A battleship costs tens of millions of marks. Without strong financial support, it simply cannot be played. Even Germany could barely hold on.
"Your Highness, I know the real situation of the Navy. If it weren't for Your Highness, the Imperial Navy would not be where it is today." Von Kidren Wachter shook his head.
Qin Tian smiled and didn't say much. Indeed, it was precisely because of his strong promotion that the German Navy was able to develop by leaps and bounds. Otherwise, the Imperial Navy will always be suppressed by the British.
"Based on the achievements of His Highness alone, I personally think that His Highness should be the heir of the empire. In the entire empire, no one is more suitable for this position than His Highness. Even the former Crown Prince William is far inferior to His Highness. "Von Kidren Wachter continued.
Qin Tian couldn't help thinking about what von Kidren Wascht meant. Could it be that the attitude of the civil servant faction will change because of this? If this is the case, this is undoubtedly a great thing for him. With the support of the civil servant faction, his position will be more stable.
Although he thought so in his heart, Qin Tian still remained calm when he was not really sure.
"Your Excellency, Minister of Foreign Affairs, you are flattering me. Whether I can become the crown prince is determined by my father. I personally support any decision he makes!" Qin Tian said.
